'SERIOUS QUESTIONS TO ANSWER'

PAEDO PROBE 'ESSENTIAL'

The PM’s spokeswoman declined to say what action the Home Office took, but stressed it was for the independent inquiry to deal with.

Last night Labour MP Lisa Nandy hit out saying “This feels like a cover up, making it imperative that the PM and Home Secretary are now completely open about precisely what they knew so that survivors can regain confidence in this crucial inquiry.”

The Wigan MP added: “Now that Theresa May has admitted she knew of failings in the abuse inquiry whilst she was in charge of it she must explain why she took no action other than to allow a generous £80,000 pay off to the judge at the centre of these serious allegations.”

“The new Home Secretary Amber Rudd must also explain why she told MPs as recently as September that “all the information” she had was that Dame Lowell-Goddard resigned because she was homesick.”